We are thinking of removing the original furnace on our 65 Safari and installing an Olympian Catalytic Wave Heater. Has anyone done this? If so, how is this working, and do you have any advise? My one concern is condensation inside the trailer.

I'm surprised no one has responded yet, but basically you are going to get two big sides on this, the "if you properly vent your heater, then it is not an issue" side, and the "oh my dear lord why would you ever do that it is your life do what you want side".

As with everything, there are risks to it, and as long as you know enough about the systems to safely mitigate those risks by providing proper combustion air sources and fresh air to replace it, then you will be OK. However, failure to do so can be very bad.

For the record, I plan to do it. But that's still a ways away for me

Just do a search on "catalytic heaters" in the heater section and you'll find some good comparison threads.

Condensation should not be an issue with a CAT heater as long as you keep a window open. While CAT heaters do not normally produce CO, it is still a good idea to have a CO detector. CAT heaters do consume the Oxygen out of the air. Operating them without an open window or vent can be dangerous. Some CAT heaters do have an Oxygen sensor that shut the unit down if the Oxygen level get low, but an open vent or window is still a good idea.

We have a CAT in our trailer as well as a furnace. We use the CAT to take the chill out of the trailer in the mornings when we are off the grid. We never go to bed with the CAT on.

good idea? I'd say "mandatory", with any gas-burning appliance...which means you need one anyway, if you're burning gas for fridge/stove/hot water...or a conventional furnace...none of which "normally" add CO to the cabin; its when they're acting "ABnormal" that we're worried about.

good idea? I'd say "mandatory", with any gas-burning appliance...which means you need one anyway, if you're burning gas for fridge/stove/hot water...or a conventional furnace...none of which "normally" add CO to the cabin; its when they're acting "ABnormal" that we're worried about.

Thanks for the advise. The pros as I see it are more storage under the sink, don't have to figure a new duct system, less propane use, it's quiet. The cons are that I have to patch the exterior skin where the original furnace was, (which is the biggest problem). I agree with the CO detector, that is a must.